FBI director James Comey testifies before Congress earlier this month about the government's efforts to compel Apple to help investigators break into the iPhone that belonged to one of the San Bernardino Shooters. On Monday, the Justice Department told a southern California judge it no longer needed Apple’s help to do so. (Photo by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

Investigators for the FBI have hacked into the iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters on their own, lawyers for the government told the court Monday, asking a judge to end their high-profile case against Apple.

In a two-page filing Monday afternoon, the Justice Department told the court it has "successfully accessed the data" on the phone. "The government ... therefore no longer requires the assistance from Apple Inc. mandated by the Court's Order" that would have required Apple engineers to bypass basic security measures that come installed on its iPhone 5c.

Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym has yet to formally sign an agreement to vacate the order, which government lawyers filed arguing they had demonstrated "good cause" to do so.

The move brings an end to a chapter of the smartphone maker's ongoing fight with the government over encryption and access to user information. The case has been closely watched by privacy and security advocates and government officials alike; many other cases involving similar requests remain ongoing.

The ability of the FBI to break into the iPhone raises an new set of questions: how did the FBI manage to break into the iPhone, and does the government's successful hack suggest there are vulnerabilities in the device that Apple doesn't know about?

Last week, after the FBI first indicated it may have found a way to break into the iPhone without Apple's help, the company's lawyers said they had no idea how they FBI planned to do so. They suggested the company would attempt to find out. With the dispute now resolved, it's not clear whether Apple will have a way to demand answers.

"I think Apple will fight as hard as they can, but the moment the FBI withdraws the motion, Apple will have a difficult time finding anything out," said Riana Pfefferkorn, a fellow at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society who filed an amicus 'friend of the court' brief in the case supporting Apple.

UPDATE: The Justice Department released the following statement about the case Monday afternoon.

"The FBI is currently reviewing the information on the phone, consistent with standard investigatory procedures. It remains a priority for the government to ensure that law enforcement can obtain crucial digital information to protect national security and public safety, either with cooperation from relevant parties, or through the court system when cooperation fails. We will continue to pursue all available options for this mission, including seeking the cooperation of manufacturers and relying upon the creativity of both the public and private sectors."

Do you have a story tip? Click here for details on how to send Matt information anonymously. He can be reached via Signal/WhatsApp: 626-233-1063. Email him at mdrange[at]forbes.com